1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recorded sheet handling apparatus suitably used together with a recording apparatus such as a copying machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, conventional recording apparatuses such as printers and facsimile systems in addition to copying machines have been used in various fields. In these recording apparatuses, multi-functional, high-speed features are required for the copying machines.
When conference data and distribution data are to be prepared in the form of a recorded document by a recording apparatus such as a copying machine, the recorded sheets must be aligned, folded, punched, or stapled. Many attempts have been made to automate these operations so as to improve total copying efficiency. For this purpose, a sorter for sorting the copied sheets, an automatic punching apparatus, an automatic folding machine, an automatic gathering machine, and a handling apparatus as a combination of these apparatuses and machines have been proposed, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent
Publication (Kokai) Nos. 61-94180 and 61-84662 and a publication from the Institute of Electrophotography of Japan, Vol. 24, No. 3, 1985, PP. 188-194.
The recorded sheets are often stapled or filed for later use. However, a handling apparatus for punching and stapling the recorded sheets has never been proposed.